Pope Benedict appoints nuncio to Jordan and Iraq

POPE BENEDICT XVI has named Mgr Giorgio Lingua, 50, as Apostolic Nuncio to Jordan and Iraq, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop.
The archbishop-elect will succeed Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, who was named in July as the permanent observer of the Holy See at the United Nations. Giorgio Lingua was born in Fossano, Italy, in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1984. He holds a degree in Canon Law and speaks French, Spanish and English.
Archbishop-elect Lingua entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1992, and has served in pontifical delegations in the Ivory Coast and the United States.